Smoking pipe



G. R. M ALLASTER SMOKING PIPE Aug, 7, 1951 Filed June 21, 1946 INVENTOR. 62: J/(flZZasfc-r' Patented Aug. 7, 1951 n V I 2,563,349

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,563,349 SMOKING PIPE George R. McAllaster, Rochester, N. Y. Application June 21, 1946, Se1'ial No. 678,424

This invention relates to a smoking pipe, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved and more satisfactory smoking pipe, providing a cooler and more enjoyable smoke.

Another object is the provision of a smokin pipe so designed and constructed as to facilitate the removal of sludge from the bottom of the bowl.

Still another object is the provision of movable means within the pipe bowl for providing an elevated support for the mass of burning tobacco therein.

A further object is the provision of a pipe having easily and quickly manipulated means for loosening the sludge at the bottom of the bowl of the pipe, which means is so designed and constructed that it does not interfere with the draft through the pipe, nor with the enjoyment of smoking.

A still further object is the provision of means for loosening the unburned tobacco in the bowl of the pipe.

These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a smoking pipe in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the bowl of the pipe with the cleaning means in normal position;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with the cleaning means in a different position;

Fig. 4 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cleaning member detached from the other parts; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a bushing forming part of the construction.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In its preferred embodiment, the smoking pipe of the present invention comprises the usual wooden bowl I I and stem l2 which may be integral with or separate from the bowl. In the form here shown, the stem [2 is separate and is connected to the bowl by a threaded nipple IS on the stem screwed into a threaded opening in the side of the bowl. This nipple connects with the duct I5 which enters one side of the space ll within the bowl, near the bottom thereof.

A hole I8 is bored vertically through the bottom of the bowl and threaded and in this hole is tightly screwed a bushing 2|, threaded both 5 Claims. (01. 131-184) externally and internally. Threaded into the internal threads of the bushing 2| are the threads 25 formed near the lower end of the stud 21, the upper end of which carries a head 29 constituting a platform for supporting tobacco above it. As best seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the head has two or more laterally projecting flanges or wings which are twisted so that their arcuate edges are of somewhat helical shape and which terminate in somewhat sharpened cutting edges 3| at their lowermost ends, with slots 28 of substantial width separating the individual wings or flanges from each other, as shown. The helix of which each wing or flange 29 forms a part extends in the opposite direction from the helix of which the screw threads 25 form a part. In other words, if the screw threads 25 are conventional right hand threads, then the edges of the wings or flanges 29 have roughly the configuration of a left hand thread.

The shank of the stud 21, above the screw thread 25, is of smaller diameter than the root diameter of the thread, and is of greater height than the length of the threaded portion of the shank, so that the stud may be unscrewed in an outward direction out of the threaded bushing 2 I, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a lower position such as shown in Fig. 3, and after the screw threads 25 on the stud have passed out of the bushing, the stud will be freely rotatable in the bushing and will have a certain amount of freedom of longitudinal or axial movement through the bushing. A knurled disk has a tight press fit on the lower end of the stud 21 (below the screw threads 25) and may be conveniently grasped to manipulate the stud. The lower face of the disk 35 is flat, and is of sufficient diameter to form a stable support to prevent sidewise tilting of the pipe and thus to hold it in an upright position when it is laid on a table or other fiat surface.

In the use of the device, the stud is normally screwed firmly into the bushing, in the position shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the pipe bowl above the wings or flanges 29 is then filled with tobacco in the usual manner and is smoked. The wings 2-9 are of somewhat smaller diameter than the bowl, and some tobacco may pass downwardly into the lower portion of the bowl, around the wings '25, but it is immaterial whether any sub stantial amount of tobacco does or does not get beneath the wings 29. The portion of the tobacco above. the wings 29 furnishes a particularly pleasing smoke because this portion of the tobacco stays dry and does not become soggy with saliva flowing in through the pipe stem, or with moisture from other sources. Any moisture initially in the tobacco itself may easily drip downwardly past the flanges 29 which support the body of burning tobacco. Such moisture cannot leak out through the bottom of the pipe, however, because the upper surface of the disk 35 bears tightly against and forms a watertight joint with the flat bottom surface of the bushing 2 I. A particularly cool smoke is provided because the large air space beneath the platform or head 29 tends to cool the smoke as it passes through this air-- space.

If, after repeated usage, an accumulation of tobacco or sludge or other foreign matter does occur in the bottom of the pipe, this is easily removed by grasping the disk 35 and turning it in a direction to unscrew the screw threads 25 from the bushing 2i. Assuming that these are conventional right hand threads, the disk 35 is turned leftwardly and the threads are unscrewed to the point where they disengage from the bushing, and where the smaller diameter stem 2'! passes through the bushing. When this occurs, the disk 35 is pulled outwardly as far as possible (which may be until the flanges 28 are resting upon the body of sludge, tobacco particles or other foreign matter, in the bottom of the bowl) and then the disk 35 is turned rightwardly while at the same time causing an outward pull or tension thereon. During the rightward turning, the edges 3| will act as sharp scrapers on the sludge and will disintegrate it, and as turning is continued the small particles of sludge will be displaced upwardly by the inclined scraping edges 3! and will pass up through the slots in the head and will lie loosely on top of the head, whence they may be readily knocked out of the pipe upon inverting the bowl. After the cleaning operation has been completed, the threads 25 on the stud are screwed back into the bushing 2| and the pipe is now ready for reloading with fresh tobacco for the next smoke.

Some smokers lay great store by the cake that accumulates on the side walls of the bowl, and do not wish to disturb or remove it. The present invention enables the cleaning of the bottom of the bowl without disturbing in any way the cake formed on the side walls of the actual combustion zone, which is above the head or platform 29 and which is, accordingly, not touched by the operation of the cleaning device of the present invention.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above-mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking pipe including a bowl having an opening in a Wall thereof, a shaft extending through said opening and having an accessible portion exteriorally of said bowl, and a laterally extending flange on said shaft within said bowl, said flange having sufiicient area to form a supporting grate for holding a body of tobacco above the bottom of said bowl and having a plurality of approximately radial slots therein and having a periphery approximately in the form of an interrupted helix with the peripheral portions on opposite sides of each slot offset from each other in a direction axially of said shaft.

2. A smoking pipe including a bowl for holding a body of tobacco to be burned, said bowl having a restricted opening through its bottom, a shaft extending through said opening, said shaft having a lower portion of large diameter for fitting tightly within said opening to support said shaft from said bowl and also having a portion of a diameter smaller than that of and above said portion of large diameter, said portion of smaller diameter being of substantial length and extending loosely through said opening when said portion of larger diameter is released from and drawn downwardly from said opening, and a head substantially at the upper end of said shaft, said head having sufficient area to form a supporting member to hold said body of tobacco at an elevation substantially above the bottom of said bowl when said shaft is in normal smoking position with said larger diameter portion thereof fitting in said opening,

said head being of substantially larger diameter than the Opening in the bottom of the bowl and capable of being lowered from its supporting position and manipulated as aforesaid to dislodge material approximately at the bottom of said bowl when said shaft portion of larger diameter is released from and drawn downwardly from said opening.

3. A construction as described in claim 2, in which said head is provided on its under surface with a cutting edge to assist in dislodging material in the bottom of said bowl below said head when said head is manipulated in a rotary direction.

4. A construction as described in claim 3, in which said head is provided with an approximately radial slot and in which said cutting edge is formed by one edge of said slot.

5. A construction as described in claim 2 in which the head is generally disk shaped and divided by two diametrically aligned slots into two semi-disks and these latter are relatively inclined in two intersecting planes.

GEORGE R. MCALLASTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 505,202 Jaque Sept. 19, 1893 793,470 Schibler June 27, 1905 824,971 Boisaubin July 3, 1906 1,532,050 Drapeau Mar. 31, 1925, 2,136,745 Jellinghaus Nov. 15, 1938 2,231,176 Ballin Feb. 11, 1941 2,272,472 Ney Feb. 10, 1942 2,316,162 Helm Apr. 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,059 Great Britain of 1911 506,463 Great Britain May 30, 1939 540,604 Germany .1 Dec. 19, 1931 

